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Nature and significance of small volume fall deposits at composite volcanoes: Insights from the October 14, 1974 Fuego eruption, Guatemala

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Abstract

The first of four successive pulses of the 1974 explosive eruption of Fuego volcano, Guatemala, produced a small volume (∼0.02 km3 DRE) basaltic sub-plinian tephra fall and flow deposit. Samples collected within 48 h after deposition over much of the dispersal area (7–80 km from the volcano) have been size analyzed down to 8 φ (4 µm). Tephra along the dispersal axis were all well-sorted (σ φ = 0.25–1.00), and sorting increased whereas thickness and median grain size decreased systematically downwind. Skewness varied from slightly positive near the vent to slightly negative in distal regions and is consistent with decoupling between coarse ejecta falling off the rising eruption column and fine ash falling off the windblown volcanic cloud advecting at the final level of rise. Less dense, vesicular coarse particles form a log normal sub-population when separated from the smaller (Mdφ < 3φ or < 0.125 mm), denser shard and crystal sub-population. A unimodal, relatively coarse (Mdφ = 0.58φ or 0.7 mm σ φ = 1.2) initial grain size population is estimated for the whole (fall and flow) deposit. Only a small part of the fine-grained, thin 1974 Fuego tephra deposit has survived erosion to the present day. The initial October 14 pulse, with an estimated column height of 15 km above sea level, was a primary cause of a detectable perturbation in the northern hemisphere stratospheric aerosol layer in late 1974 to early 1975. Such small, sulfur-rich, explosive eruptions may substantially contribute to the overall stratospheric sulfur budget, yet leave only transient deposits, which have little chance of survival even in the recent geologic record. The fraction of finest particles (Mdφ = 4–8φ or 4–63 µm) in the Fuego tephra makes up a separate but minor size mode in the size distribution of samples around the margin of the deposit. A previously undocumented bimodal–unimodal–bimodal change in grain size distribution across the dispersal axis at 20 km downwind from the vent is best accounted for as the result of fallout dispersal of ash from a higher subplinian column and a lower “co-pf” cloud resulting from pyroclastic flows. In addition, there is a degree of asymmetry in the documented grain-size fallout pattern which is attributed to vertically veering wind direction and changing windspeeds, especially across the tropopause. The distribution of fine particles (<8 µm diameter) in the tephra deposit is asymmetrical, mainly along the N edge, with a small enrichment along the S edge. This pattern has hazard significance.

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Acknowledgements

Once again, Samuel B. Bonis is gratefully acknowledged for his sample collection prowess. Jocelyn McPhie, Jacqueline Huntoon and two anonymous reviewers helped to clarify the text and figures. We thank the technical staff at the Institute of Materials Processing, MTU, for their help in Coulter counter analysis. WIR was supported by NSF and NASA. SS received support from NASA grant NSG5131 for the study of atmospheric effects of volcanic eruptions. GGJE was helped by interactions with RSJ Sparks, J Willson, and C Bonadonna, and support from the Nuffield Foundation (NUF-NAL award). The University of Cambridge Physical Geography Laboratories generously allowed AJD use of the Malvern Room facility; in particular Claire Horwell, Steve Boreham and Chris Rolfe are thanked for their assistance and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Geological Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA

    W. I. Rose, A. J. Durant & G. G. J. Ernst

  2. Volcano Dynamics Group, Dept. of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

    S. Self

  3. Shinshu University, Matsue, Japan

    P. J. Murrow

  4. Mercator & Ortelius Research Centre for Eruption Dynamics, Geological Institute, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    G. G. J. Ernst

  5. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    C. Bonadonna

  6. School of Geographical Sciences/Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK

    A. J. Durant

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Rose, W.I., Self, S., Murrow, P.J. et al. Nature and significance of small volume fall deposits at composite volcanoes: Insights from the October 14, 1974 Fuego eruption, Guatemala. Bull Volcanol 70, 1043–1067 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-007-0187-5

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